coffe for tiramisu

[pastrycake]

Hey guys,
I have seen many recipes using coffee. Since I am not a coffee drinker (sorry Starbucks) I am unfamiliar with the terminology. A particular recipe for tiramisu says to use stong coffee. Do I have to brew one up or can I use the french vanilla expresso stuff. Is insant expresso stronger? Anyone know how many spoonsful to use in place of the liquid cofee? Since I don't have coffee made, can I use an equivalent instant expresso. Please explain since some brownies or cakes also recommend using coffee. I guess chocolate and coffee seems to go well together.

[Bon Vivant]

The darker the roast, the deeper the flavor. An "American" roast is a lighter one (at least it is here in southern california), while a French roast is pretty much as dark as it gets.

As far as tiramisu goes, there are two things to keep in mind. First, for the love of God, use real marscapone. I can't stress that enough. And second, use espresso, preferably freshly ground. My old restaurant had the best tiramisu in the area, and I attribute this to the fact that we were the only guys to use marscapone and fresh ground espresso.

[Nicholas]

I second Bon Vivant, use real mascarpone and real coffee!

I personally prefer to use Zabaglione and whipped cream to make the mascarpone mixture more billowy, keeping in mind to maintain at least a 70% of mascarpone in the overall.

For the tiramisu, you can make a coffee concetrate by boiling grounded coffee beans, and then dissolving sugar in it to taste, and then, dip your sponge biscuits in it, or brush them on sponge cake layers.

[Zukerig]

Re Mascarpone: You will choose to buy either (or both?) domestically produced or imported cheese to use in the zabaione. Mascarpone flown in from Italy is an extremely delicate, light, and perishable product. Apart from its renowned used in tiramisù (which means “pick-me-up”), it pairs wonderfully with fresh fruit – such as pears, raspberries, or strawberries. Occasionally, you may find it sold layered with Gorgonzola. Always, it should be fresh-looking and moist. Combined with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest, mascarpone is a special substitute for the traditional ricotta filling piped into cannoli.

A consistently well-made tiramisù can become a hallmark of a pastry kitchen. To begin, please use fresh-baked ladyfingers or, to be explicitly authentic, savoiardi biscuits; cold, recently made espresso or even a robust strong black coffee, such as straightforward Hawaiian Kona or a rich & soft Indonesian, to use in the syrup (keep in mind that the best coffees are of the species arabica); and top-grade, Dutch-process cocoa powder for dusting. It can be successfully made using a premium brand of coffee extract, too – as is done in an "iced" version at the Water Grill in Los Angeles.

Eventually, you can experiment using different spirits: Orange liqueur, dark or light rum (which I like in this dessert), Grappa, and Kahlua. Irish Mist liqueur is chosen for use in this dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (see Andrew Friedman, Chef on a Shoestring, published by Simon & Schuster). Godiva liqueur is another option.

If you have access to a culinary library, here are some worthy recommendations:

The aforementioned "Irish Tiramisù" printed in Friedman’s 2001 book.

Tiramisù Celestiale in Nick Stellino’s Family Kitchen.

There’s a very good Tiramisù Italiano recipe in one of Tyler Florence’s books.

The Ghiradelli Chocolate Cookbook by Neva Beach.

An especially light-textured version in Biba Caggiano’s Trattoria Cooking.

La Dolce Vita by Michele Scicolone.

And, believe it or not, Plenty: A Collection of Sarah McLachlan's Favourite Recipes – yes, the musician! -- contains a recipe for tiramisu. (Published about 6 years ago.)

Finally, you might want to look into the prospect of making this confection.